About this experience
Harvest gets the attention, but Hank says the year is mostly decided in spring. During planting season you ride in the tractor cab as he plants corn with a 24-row planter, watching the monitor track seed spacing, depth and population by the row.
You also get out of the cab and into the dirt, digging behind the planter to check seed depth and spacing by hand. Over lunch Hank explains how he picks seed hybrids for each field from soil maps and yield history, and what he has already spent before a single plant comes up.
Your day
- 7:30 AM
Soil and weather check
Check soil temperature and the forecast to decide if it is a planting day.
1 hr
- 8:30 AM
Planter ride
Ride in the cab and learn what the planter monitor shows row by row.
2 hr
- 10:30 AM
Dig and check
Dig behind the planter to measure seed depth and spacing.
1 hr 30 min
- 12:00 PM
Lunch and seed decisions
How hybrids and seeding rates are chosen field by field, and what inputs cost.
1 hr
- 1:00 PM
Seed tender and fill
See how seed is delivered and loaded, then more time in the cab.
What’s included
- Field lunch
- Farm cap
- Printed planting map from the field you rode in
Good to know
- Closed-toe boots required; fields can be muddy in spring.
- Guests ride in the cab only and stay clear of moving equipment and the seed tender at all times.
- Planting runs roughly late April to mid-May and depends on soil conditions; rain can move your day.
Your curator
Hank Larsen4th-generation farmer, 25 harvestsHank Larsen is the fourth generation on his family farm, which grows corn and soybeans on about 5,000 acres. He studied agronomy before coming home and now runs the operation with his sister and a crew of six. He uses GPS-guided equipment and yield data to make nearly every decision.
View Hank’s profile
